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Thursday, April 24, 2014

One Pot Tempeh Lentil Sloppy Joes

Hi there! How's the week going so far? State testing + Thunder playoffs + OKC arts festival have made it a busy one for us (but mostly fun!).

Tuesday night, I was looking to make something super easy yet slightly different from our usual staples (meaning not some sort of "big bowl" or soup). I had several packages of tempeh and lots of lentils to use up, so I decided to combine them to make a better-for-you version of the sloppy joe.

I never ate sloppy joes growing up, but, years ago, Jay introduced me to the standard meat + canned sauce version. They were definitely easy and tasty, but not so high on the nutrition-meter. However, with a few tweaks and substitutions, you can "healthify" the recipe really easily. I made these using just one pot and had them on the table within about 30 minutes. We served them open-faced atop toasted Ezekiel bread with jicama fries on the side (a post on jicama coming soon!).

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Saute garlic, onion, celery, green pepper, crumbled tempeh, oregano, and red pepper flakes for about 5 minutes, until onion is translucent and pepper has softened. You can add a few tablespoons of water if ingredients start to stick. 2. Add the water, lentils, ketchup, barbecue sauce, vinegar, and Worcestershire.3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring regularly, until lentils are soft but not too mushy.